I learned my lesson (I hope) in making Lago. Lago is a poor design for frame rate as well as gameplay. My next map I want to be good for both while still being pleasing to the eye. I've started a new map, one that Red and I have been talking about for a while. I am making a long canyon style map with pure terrain for cover.

Sorry but i don't feel well with that map.Fps Drop always Down if sky appiers up to me.And a litle bit more round and nature Brushes and Rocks Hills etc. I hoepe it will change with easygen terrain.But interesting idea.

Pardner wrote:And please note: this is only a few hours of work and is no where even remotely close to being complete. Here is a list of things I plan:

A tunnel system is in the works, but I haven't completely decided where it will go.

EasyGen terrain

Hand man cliff walls like in Lago. The size of the canyon paths may be reduced when the cliff walls are implemented.

Items to hide behind in the canyon (indents in the canyon wall, boxes, rocks, trees, etc).

Camp site at the defender's and the robber's spawn

I guess I was looking more for gameplay suggestions. I know it lakes detail, i know there are random brushes here and there, I know it needs more work. Seriously, that is about 2 hrs of work our of 100 needed for a map.....

I guess the point is, I don't want to make a map if it will never be played. Releasing a map design before I fully commit allows me to get an understanding of what I could do better.

Do the Downparts more natural it allways looks so strange in the sg maps i willtr to do one for example.

Greeting Dago

You do realize that all those brushes will be replaced by a nice EG terrain and handmade cliff walls.... see the slopes and terrain of Lago for an example. I know it looks stange.... what do you expect for 2 hrs of work. Trust me when I say that it will look much much better once I get the layout finalized. The reason I posted this was to test the layout.

EDIT: This is what I am interested in:

What do you think if I move the lower entrance over to the right and make the upper entrance slope down to the defender spawn? The upper entrance I make like that because I wanted the robbers to have an advantage sniper spot as the defender spawn is easy to guard do to the size.From this:

LuckyGenDago wrote:Do the Downparts more natural it allways looks so strange in the sg maps

So I've spent some time in EasyGen laying out the paths:I need to tweak them for a more natural look. Then I will import the EG map into Radiant, and then start the long process of hand making cliff walls (like this)

Here is another angle with a labels where the defender spawn, robber spawn, and tunnel entrances will be.

I've had some more time to work on this map. I've added the nice EG terrain to the blocky canyon layout, I've made detailed rope bridges, and I've started to make nice rock corridors. Screens? Yes please.

I need to do a lot more more on the rock corridors. They still look a little blocky, but that may change when I apply phong shading. I plan to do manual texture blending, and a cave/tunnel section as well.

Pardner wrote:I've had some more time to work on this map. I've added the nice EG terrain to the blocky canyon layout, I've made detailed rope bridges, and I've started to make nice rock corridors. Screens? Yes please.

I need to do a lot more more on the rock corridors. They still look a little blocky, but that may change when I apply phong shading. I plan to do manual texture blending, and a cave/tunnel section as well.

I have never drawn a map but after a few months of playing this game I have a few ideas of what to put and not to put in a map to make it more playable.

Lag - is critical. Whatever causes it I would avoid as much as possible. Sound effects seem to slow fps. Maps with no sound like the Fort are popular.

Levels - basements or tunnels, and rooftops give a three dimensional aspect to a map. Dry Gulch is perfect example.

Lighting - big problem for me. My eyes do not adjust quickly from dark to light, neither do they pick up low contrast objects well. Maps with few deep shadows, decent contrast. Muddled or dark maps like Coyote Bluff are to be avoided in my opinion. Well lit maps (but please no harsh sun) are more playable

Size - I would assume the larger a map the more it lags. Regardless you can get lost on some maps. Think Backwater.

Spawn points - critical to gameplay in DM is where do you start? Too far from the action, takes forever to find anybody. Also don't like being dropped out in the open, that promotes spawn killing. Tillian is bad for that but hard to avoid, it is so open. An example of a bad spawn point is in the Mine, where one is dropped below the windmill across from the row of buildings (usually full of campers like me). This is going to be a BR map, but a BR map can be very playable for DM if designed well. I like BR Mexico for example.

I am sure you know all of this already, but I needed a break from playing SG.